Over The Hill

I should know by now, the mountains always bite back. A little less crowing about a 500m high starting point and relatively easy going on Glas Maol last Sunday was turned completely upside down on the ascent of Stob Coire Sgreamhach today. This was a demanding climb with rocky river beds, sections of steep crags and boulder fields towards the summit. It wasn't all bad though, the weather was just fantastic, clear blue skies and endless visibility. Oh, and the descent, well that was a fairly gently affair over grassy slopes, with just one steep section as we regained the forest boundary.

Parking at Dalness, at a spot height of a mere 70m, we headed north up the course of the Maol Easan, at times along the forest boundary and at times on the almost dry rocky river bed itself to the steep slopes above the forest line. Now at a respectable height of 300m we had a couple of options, swing west along the forest boundary before continuing up the hillside, or continue directly ahead towards a line of crags which rose above the hillside and would require a bit of scrambling on steep rock before breaking out onto flatter ground a few hundred metres higher up the hillside.

Of course we headed directly ahead towards the crags and it wasn't long before we were engaging both hand and foot to scramble up the rocks, weaving our way up, along, and up again for what seemed a considerable length of time before finally placing our feet on more level ground as we cleared the crags around the 550m height - so pleased to be free of the climb, one member of our group strode off at a gallop and didn't stop until he reached the 778m minor top - "Was it something I said, Ian?".

Above the crags the ridge broadened and rose at a much gentler gradient as we followed Ian towards the 778m top, a point you could by-pass, but in doing so you would miss out on some wonderful views across the Lairig Eilde towards the massifs of the two Buachailles, Buachaille Etive Beag and Buachaille Etive Mor looking quite majestic in the brilliant blue skies.

Departing the 778m top we had yet another change in the ground underfoot as we now ascended the loose rock and boulders on the broad shoulder that is formed above Coire nan Easan and climbed towards a prominent knoll which protrudes out over the steep cliffs above the Lairig Eilde at about the 950m height. Yet another point which could be bypassed, but which is well worth a visit as once again the views eastwards over the Lairig Eilde are quite spectacular. This point also boasts a small cairn, around which sat three men from Leeds, who had climbed to this point from the bealach in the Lairig Eilde and enquired as to whether this was a Munro summit. And so we took to explaining the oddity that height alone does not define a Munro - but suggested that as they had come this far, on what they thought was their first Munro, they should make the extra effort of 20 minutes or so and continue to the summit, clearly visible from this point. Advice they discussed and accepted, and so followed a little behind us as we also made the final effort to what is an outstanding summit, especially in weather such as today.

After a fine lunch, we bade farewell to the men from Yorkshire, as they retraced their steps to the Lairig Eilde and we headed off on a more southerly course across the rock and boulders to pick up a fine grassy ridge, this time running down the west side of Coire nan Easan, for a much gentler descent route back towards the forest and treeline above Dalness. Here we encountered the only awkward section of the descent as the gully formed by the Allt nan Easan divides and produces some steep sections leading down into the forest; we however, made an easy crossing above the gullies followed by a descent east around the lower slopes of the ridge which brought us nicely to a point where we rejoined our outward route for the final descent back along the course of the Maol Easan to Dalness.

Brilliant autumnal weather, wonderful mountain, and great company - Thanks Everyone.